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July 14 to 20
AI as a Threat
Polls are showing that many Americans have deep concerns over artificial intelligence. A June 15 poll by Gallup found two out of three individuals (64%) saying they will resist incorporating AI technologies in their lives as long as possible. There is also a real fear on the part of 59% of respondents that AI will reduce the need for humans to perform important or creative tasks.
There is a difference in how Americans view the impact of AI generally versus their willingness to have the technology incorporated in their own lives. Respondents were split evenly on the beneficial or harmful impact of AI on society. 49% said they believed humans will learn to use AI to better society, and an equal 49% said it threatens to harm society.
This issue of the technology’s societal impact led over half of those polled to say that AI will have a greater impact on society than was true of the smartphone (59%), the computer (57%), the internet (56%) or the telephone (52%).
Levels of trust in the results of AI use present another area of concern. A Quinnipiac University poll found that 51% of respondents think they can trust AI-generated information only some of the time, with 24% saying almost never. The groups with the highest levels of trust in information generated by AI were male, members of younger generations and those with higher levels of wealth.
Job market anxiety is a clear area of concern, especially for those in lower-level service jobs. One study published in Computerworld Germany claims the United States is at the top of world job-related AI anxiety. Psychologists argue that such anxiety poses a psychological problem and not just an economic one.
Those who feel positive about the future of AI in their lives and in society as a whole report the most familiarity with it in smart devices, generative tools and the use of virtual assistants like Siri or Alexa. The polls suggest that positive views of AI are more likely to come from those who have the most familiarity with AI-empowered technologies. As usage expands, acceptance may follow is the bottom line that Gallup saw in its poll results.
Fertility Rates
The Pew Trusts has reported research showing that in 2023 41 states experienced their lowest fertility rates in 30 years. Historically, the report says, fertility rates often dip following economic downturns and then bounce back. That has not been the case with the Great Recession of 2008. The rates fell and then never bounced back. The downward trend intensified in 2020 with the arrival of the pandemic. In a 2022 study Pew warned about what this means for state budgets.
The measure used to study changes in fertility is the number of births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44. Comparisons to the decade that ended in 2020 show a drop nationally by 2023 of 6 babies per 1,000 women in the age group. New Jersey is doing better than most states, with a change of roughly 2.5 babies down from the previous decade average per 1,000 women. New Jersey’s more positive numbers are seen as related to the state’s population growth through immigration. The state’s population is 24.2% foreign-born, meaning one in four New Jerseyans are immigrants with a different fertility profile.
What are some of the major factors impacting fertility rates? As Pew sees them: decisions by women to have children at a later age, limiting the size of families, financial concerns and housing affordability, trends among the young to marry later in life than was true a generation ago, time needed for education and career attainment, and the high cost of raising children.
One positive factor for states is that smaller birth cohorts led to less spending on K-12 education. Local resistance to changes in education structures given smaller cohorts does negate some of the potential savings in education spending. In some Cape May County school districts smaller enrollments sometimes lead to higher per-pupil spending rather than overall savings.
State budget impacts vary, but generally involve lower labor force participation and slower workforce growth in coming decades, impacts on tax revenue, the different needs of a population with a growing median age, and policies related to perceived immigration threats and/or immigrant roles in the workforce.
The impact of declines in fertility rates will intensify in the coming decades, Pew says. One worry is that planning for the impact of long-term demographic change is not a skill set well-honed by state lawmakers.
Sand on the Beach
The federal government has been rebuilding eroded beaches for decades. It is a controversial process that involves millions in federal dollars that opponents say largely benefit local communities and wealthy property owners. The usual split on the cost of such projects is 65% federal dollars and 35% state and local funds, which different states cover in a variety of ways. In Cape May County the usual model is 65% federal, just over 25% state and roughly 8% to 10% local funding.
In the county, beaches from Ocean City in the north to Cape May Point in the far south benefit from arrangements with the Army Corps of Engineers that produce hydraulic beach fills on a three- to five-year periodic basis. The Wildwoods have not been part of this process due to a lack of consensus among the ocean-fronting communities that has prevented an island-wide agreement with the Corps.
This year, according to the American Coastal Coalition, was the first time in almost 30 years that the federal budget canceled all funds for beach replenishment projects.
For most of us the big reasons for periodic replenishment is the maintenance of dry beaches with ample sand to accommodate the hundreds of thousands who travel to the Jersey Shore as a desired summer vacation location. For the Army Corps the rebuilding of eroded beaches and dunes is a vital part of shore protection for people and property.
The argument against the program is that it involves the use of tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to put sand where everyone knows it again will be eroded by nature.
This winter Ocean City, Avalon and Stone Harbor have scheduled replenishment projects that as of now have no federal funding. Cape May City also has a project that might have received federal dollars. Avalon has a consulting organization, the Warwick Group, seeking directed funding for the county replenishments. Even if successful, the real problem is that trying for special designated funding is not a viable strategy for recurrent erosion.
As the county sits in the summer season 2025, the real issue is, what is the future of federal support for beach building going forward?
Week in Review
*The state Department of Environmental Protection has announced substantial changes to its proposed coastal zone regulations after a strong backlash from Shore communities.
*The William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy at Stockton University held an online panel discussion on New Jersey’s energy future.
*July 1 marked one year since Cape Regional Health System officially joined Cooper University Health Care.
*The first phase of a state channel dredging project was completed in February, but Phase II seems to have disappeared from the radar, with Wildwood Crest left out of the loop.
*After years of planning and collaboration, Wildwood has secured a $2.3 million grant from the state Department of Transportation to fully fund the Boardwalk-Pacific Avenue Pedestrian Connector project.
*The highly respected major storm forecasting group at Colorado State University has revised its April 3 forecast for the 2025 hurricane season.
*We recently gave Spout Off, one of the Herald’s most beloved features, a much-needed update.
*A second Democrat has entered the race for the party’s nomination to challenge Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R-2) for his seat in the House of Representatives in the 2026 elections.
*Jewish Family Service has introduced a new initiative designed to help New Jersey FamilyCare members who are experiencing or at risk of homelessness connect with resources needed to maintain stable housing.
*Upper Township officials met last week with representatives of the development company that will be submitting plans for the future of Beesley’s Point.
*The Upper Township Committee has approved two licenses for ice cream vendors on township beaches, but not all residents are screaming for ice cream.
*A new location and design for the proposed USS Jacob Jones Memorial is under consideration in Cape May City.
*A Republican member of the state Board of Public Utilities has stepped down, leaving two seats open on the five-member board at time when it faces a handful of controversial issues.
*Atlantic City Electric and nonprofit partner SHARES have launched the Atlantic City Electric Customer Relief Fund, which will provide relief for limited- and moderate-income ACE customers during an anticipated increase in energy bills in the coming months.
*Ocean City has opened a new, free outdoor fitness park to the public.
*4-H Fair photo gallery: The theme of the fair, held July 17-19 at the 4-H fairgrounds in Cape May Court House, was “Country Roots and Cowboy Boots.”
*New Jersey has joined 19 other states that are suing the federal government over the Trump administration’s decision to terminate a grant program that helps states and local governments prepare for natural disasters.
*Stone Harbor has a safety problem it has known about for years at two intersections of 96th Street, at Third and Second avenues, during the busy summer months.
*Dr. Mehmet Oz, the nation’s new Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator, visited Atlantic City on Friday, July 18, to tour the town and its AtlantiCare facilities, and to take part in a roundtable discussion on health-care issues.
*According to state records, 14 of Cape May County’s 16 municipalities filed fourth-round plans in the state’s affordable housing program by the required deadline.
Spout Off of the Week
Second home owners in our beach towns are a tremendous asset. They pay property taxes without adding children to our school systems.
Cape May County
OC School Board Candidate Got Letter of Warning After Incident With Student
Island Communities Feel the Brunt of the Nor’easter
Avalon Moving Ahead on Dredging of Bay Channels
